Silent Night…

One of my favorite traditions from home (that I know will be surely missed this year) is attending the Candlelight Christmas Eve service at our church.  Each year, it’s a packed house.  The service is interspersed with carols, hymns and a message from our wonderful pastor.  My favorite part, however, is at the end when the lights are dimmed and our pastor lights a candle from the altar, passes it to ushers who then pass it to each person holding a little candle they received as they entered the sanctuary.  Pretty soon, candlelight engulfs the sanctuary as we sing all the verses of Silent Night.  It’s so lovely and so poignant – the spreading of the light represents Jesus, the Light of the World, who came as a little baby on Christmas.  I’m going to miss that service this year.

However…

I was able to attend a wonderful Candlelight Concert at the American Church in Paris two weekends ago.  There were 7-8 different choirs (children/adults/men/women) that performed many different songs of the season.  There was also a rather impressive 5-octave handbell choir (I love bells!!! Especially handbells!), which gave me goosebumps just listening…I miss playing in our church’s handbell choir, too :(  The church, which is essentially a cathedral, was filled with the sounds of voices and bells for just about 2 hours!  The decorations were lovely and I was so glad that I was able to go…

Carnage…

How often does one get to watch a movie in the presence of its director?  


I figure…not that often!

Sometimes movies that premiere in Paris will be screened in the presence of the actors or the director (especially at the theater where I usually watch movies).  So when I saw that Roman Polanski was going to be present at one of the screenings of his new film, I decided that I shouldn’t miss it!  The theater was packed – more than 400 people were seated around me.  He came out to applause, spoke a few words in French, and then the movie began.  I was so concerned with getting a good seat for the movie that I ended up quite far away from where he was standing, so my pictures did not turn out as clearly as I would have hoped.  But, wow!  I don’t think I’ve ever heard of such an opportunity to do something like that back home!

I love the movie poster!

The man himself, interpreted as a blur...

Very impressionistic...

I've got to figure out the settings on my camera!

Oh, well.  In the meantime...
Lights, camera, action!

Vive le cinéma ♥

It’s (Christmas) Party Time…Excellent…

I was invited to participate in both of my schools’ Christmas parties!  It was so nice to be included, and each one was special in its own way...

The first party was at Ecole Alain Fournier and the party began late and ended early (the next morning!)  One of the teachers is from Bretagne (Brittany) so he brought fresh oysters for everyone to enjoy.  The rest of us provided all the other potluck elements to share.  There was wine and champagne in abundance, little challenges on pieces of paper (my challenge was to imitate a rooster…which, funnily enough the “sound” a rooster makes varies significantly from country to country…they got a kick out of the US version!), and the music played on and on all night.  Practically everyone was dancing at one point or another!  I was originally planning on leaving only one hour after arriving – my train schedules have been compromised lately due to track work each night.  I was rather disappointed because I really didn’t want to leave.  Cindy, one of the teachers I work with, proposed that I stay on her sofa because she lived just around the corner.  She was so generous to do that and I was only too happy to accept her offer!  Her little 5-year old son stood next to the sofa the next morning, wondering who I was.  We talked a little and the next time he saw me (some 10 days later), he asked if I had slept well – so cute!!!

The party at Ecole Alésia was a little more subdued, but still just as lovely!  The menu included another potluck theme.  Everyone enjoyed sitting around the faculty room table and catching up and conversing about n’importe quoi (this, that and the other).  It was nice to talk with teachers that I only see in passing, and meet others that have worked at the school in the past, but come back for special events like this one.

The teachers I work with at both schools are wonderful.  I work with eight different classrooms, but have met almost everyone who works in each school, down to the gardiennes and the femmes de service.  I have enjoyed getting to know them all over the past three months – I can’t believe how quickly the time has flown by!  I can tell the next few months are going to go even faster…

Horsing Around...

What to do on a rainy Sunday?

Why...jump on a train, see a castle, wander through some gardens and take in a horse show...of course!

I went with two friends to Chantilly over the weekend.  The city is known for, among many things, its marvelous château and surrounding estate, its grand stables and, my personal favorite, whipped cream!  We took a 30-minute train heading north out of Paris and walked the 20 minutes to the estate in the mist.  Our tickets for the spectacle de Noël were for the early afternoon, so we wandered around both outside and inside and grabbed a bite to eat before finding seats for the performance, Mystère à la Cité Interdite.  It was interesting to see the different skills of the riders and horses as the show unfolded; however, we all agreed that it would have been nicer to have seen more of the horses.  But, perhaps it simply wasn't possible to work them that rigorously...

Ah, well...still a lovely way to spend a few hours of a gray day with two friends.  Some pictures of our adventure follow forthwith...

Quite possibly...

...the best Christmas cookies ever!!

Thank you for the package, M&DSTW!

I love and miss you - y'all are the BEST ♥♥♥

Hope these last for awhile.

But, really...

Who am I kidding?  ♥

Lately...

Busy, busy, busy!
What a whirlwind of activity of late...
The following includes a laundry list of sorts from the past month, in case you were wondering what I've been up to...

The Cheese Stands Alone...

I realize now that I had forgotten to write about one of the more memorable "meals" that I enjoyed while visiting Lyon.  It really is somewhat of a miracle, in that it happened at all...and probably will never happen again.

It all took place at 'Chez MacDo'...

The crowd inside...

Folks outside...notice both the ordering window and the pick-up window

For posterity...

For the ♥ of chèvre...

Maybe saying that it will 'never happen again' is a little strong?

After all, never say never...

Hi-ho, the derry-o,

The cheese stands alone  ♥

Holiday Road, part 2...

Nice.


It was so nice...


Rather than a direct train from Lyon to Nice, (unbeknownst to us!) we ended up taking a regional train so we momentarily visited more cities than I thought we originally would: Avignon, Marseille, Toulon, Cannes, Antibes...oh la la!


We arrived in Nice after sunset but quickly set out to see what we could see before calling it a night.  We grabbed a bite to eat on the bustling rue de France and wandered to Place Massena before turning out the light at Hotel Gounod, our ★★★-hotel for 4 nights!  (I stayed at this hotel with friends almost 10 years ago to the day!  Wow...Time flies!!)


Our first full day was bright, sunny and warm - so lovely!  We headed for the boardwalk - la promenade des Anglais - and meandered through vieux Nice on our way up to the Colline du Château, where we visited another cemetery, saw a waterfall and took some wonderful panoramic shots of the city.  We also walked around to the other side of the colline and saw the port of Nice.  My mother once lived in Nice for 6 weeks years ago, and for the first time in all the times I've visited Nice I was able to find her street, a few blocks behind the port!  We headed back to the old part of the city to find the famous Fenocchio gelateria.  Finding it requires winding through numerous tiny alleys until you come upon a gorgeous place with a church, bell tower, fountain, and chairs to sit in and relax while you enjoy your gelato.  There are gelato stands all over Nice, but this place boast 96 different flavors and always has a line no matter what time of day you decide to treat yourself to 2 or 3 boules...because who are we kidding? Just one scoop is never enough!  The beach was calling to us, and by beach, I mean pebbles - millions and millions of pebbles.  Not the most comfortable, but, in my opinion, definitely the most charming part of the shoreline in Nice.  We scrambled up to the water and shed our socks and shoes and put our toes in the turquoise Mediterranean.  I had forgotten about all the beach glass that sparkles in the sunlight and immediately set out to find some colorful pieces to keep as souvenirs!  (Now I know why my bags felt so much heavier on the way back - haha!)  It was a wonderful first day back in my favorite city on the Côte d'Azur!


We didn't really have our time in Nice completely mapped out, which led to some great spontaneous fun!  We hit the boardwalk on Saturday morning on the early side (for us!) and decided to rent bikes (hundreds of vélobleu stalls all over the city) to ride to the far end of the boardwalk because our feet were feeling the effects of 4 days of non-stop walking.  These European towns are fairly pedestrian- and bike-friendly so the enormous bike lanes actually continued beyond the boardwalk...so, naturally, we kept going, too!  We rode past the Nice airport and through Saint-Laurent-du-Var, Cagnes-sur-Mer, and Villeneuve-Loubet (approximately 13km away).  By the time we returned to Nice (it took over an hour), I felt like I was pedaling through molasses!  Exercise much?  Despite looking completely spent upon our return, I really enjoyed our little adventure!  After a well-deserved gelato break and a nap, we grabbed our picnic supplies and headed for the beach just in time to catch a magnificent sunset.  The sky was slightly cloudy and the colors rippling throughout were amazing!  I think that was my favorite day of our entire trip!


On Sunday morning we walked a short distance to the Eglise Russe (Russian Church) that was commissioned by Tzar Nicolas in 1914.  It was gorgeous!  Unfortunately, the interior is not in the best condition so visitors can no longer go inside, but the exterior was definitely worth seeing.  We headed back towards the old part of the city and walked through both the produce and flower markets that operate every morning, Tuesday through Sunday.  So many sights, smells, colors, and textures.  I love markets, especially European ones!  We had a local niçoise snack called Socca and another gelato, of course, before heading back to the beach to relax, read, write postcards and put our feet back in the water!  Our last evening was extremely relaxing and I felt a little sad to be leaving in the morning.


We needed to check out of our hotel room by 12 noon, so we woke up early and had a few more hours in the city without having to worry about our bags.  We walked back to the port side of the city and visited an amazing, family-owned candy factory, Florian, where their specialty is candied fruits, crystallized flower petals and chocolates.  The smell of sugar was in the air...I was in heaven.  We walked the rest of the way around the port, and back again, through the old city for another portion of Socca, and another gelato before checking out of our hotel.  One last hour spent on the boardwalk before heading to the train and bidding adieu to Nice...only then did the adventure of getting home really begin!  We had open seating on the first regional train to Toulon and then only one ticket with a reserved seat for the 4-hour trip from Toulon to Paris.  I got lucky for the first leg of the trip because the train was fairly empty and Susy pointed out some available options; however, everyone and their dog (literally, there were some pooches on this train!) seemed to be traveling from Aix-en-Provence to Paris so I got bumped!  I made my way through 5 cars searching for an empty seat to no avail, so I first camped out in the hallway on the stairs and then on a luggage rack for the 3 hours or so between Aix and Paris.  I felt like a runaway!  Quite an adventure!!


I love the light in the south of France - probably why I took so many photos while in Nice - I hope you enjoy them after the jump!

Holiday Road, part 1...

Lyon.

What a beautiful city in which to begin our Toussaint vacation.

Neither my friend, Susy, nor I had ever been to Lyon, so we decided to kick off our travels in the city known for its silk-making tradition which stretches back hundreds of years.  We departed from the aptly-named Gare de Lyon on Tuesday morning and arrived in rainy, gray Lyon in the early afternoon.  We grabbed our umbrellas and began exploring the city.  The city is bisected by two rivers, the Rhône and the Saone.  Parts of Lyon reminded us of Paris (especially the fact that a river, or two, runs throughout) but we both agreed that, for the most part, Lyon was cleaner and there was far less noise pollution (i.e. drivers are more patient and don't honk at everyone and everything the way they do in Paris!)  The tiny streets in the old part of the city (vieux Lyon) were charming and we were soon exhausted from the amount of walking that we put in on Day 1!

On Wednesday, the sun made an appearance and warmed things up nicely for our only full day in Lyon.  We walked over the rivers and into vieux Lyon where we stopped by the workshop of a silk craftsman.  We were even able to see all of the equipment in the back of the shop.  I have always loved textiles and weaving and hand-made goods, so to see the work up close was thrilling.  He gave us a small demonstration of how he made velour out of silk (I always thought it was a form of velvet).  He inserted a cord of some other material into the design, passed the weft shuttle around it to secure the threads, and then used a blade to simultaneously free the cord and slice the warp threads, leaving behind a raised relief that didn't destroy the integrity of the strings because they were locked in place.  It was amazing to see and I was so captivated that I forgot to ask if I could film it - it was over before I knew it!  There were so many silk threads on the machine, too...he told us that each thread was composed of 40 silkworm cocoons!  Can you imagine?!

The next site we visited was the beautiful cathédrale de la Fourvière, located at the top of the hill overlooking the city.  We could see this church from practically every other location in the city and the white exterior seemed to sparkle in the sunlight.  The panoramic views were nothing short of breathtaking, but the interior of the church was more than dazzling.  I have visited many churches in Europe over the course of my short life, yet I don't think I've ever seen one as lovely as this.  It was highly decorated, but somehow seemed light and airy at the same time.  I loved the intricate mosaics, the vibrant colors (Susy loved all the turquoise, her favorite color!) and the stained-glass windows.  The sun streamed through each design and projected rainbows of color on the opposite walls - I first noticed that effect in another church I visited in 2008 in the tiny town of St. Paul de Vence in the South of France.  It was wonderful to just sit in one of the pews and take it all in.

From there, we wandered into some of the more modern areas of the city and pedestrian walkways lined with shops!  The nicer weather brought everyone out in droves and it was nice to be surrounded by all the bustling shoppers.  Lyon is also filled with museums galore, but we decided to consider the city itself as a museum and took advantage of the fine weather and took so many pictures of everything around us!  We knew it would be impossible to see everything during our short time in Lyon, but now we have some things to look forward to seeing the next time we visit.  Check out my pictures of Lyon after the jump...

Under the Weather...

Just like the world.

I may be living in [slash] near an extremely glamorous city, but there's nothing glamorous about feeling sick.  I might have thought that after working with kiddos for 5 years, my immune system could withstand whatever it is that I've got, which isn't anything alarming.  However, the French microbes must have something against me.  Suffice it to say, I've got "sexy Phoebe voice."

Either that, or a frog in my throat.

Thankfully, with rest and lots of movie-watching ;), I'm beginning to feel better.  And that's good, because I'm departing very soon for a few days of travel.  That's right, it's vacation time in France.  Les vacances de Tous-Saint (All Saints' (Day) vacation) lasts from Saturday, October 22nd until Thursday, November 3rd.  Susy and I are planning to visit Lyon and Nice during a 7-day excursion.  I'm very excited!  I really only worked one full week before being rewarded with a 13-day holiday.  I could really get used to that kind of schedule!

Classes went well this week.  I was able to have students practice little dialogues based on their written work from our first class together.  The popsicle stick idea of choosing volunteers/partners is working like a charm, just like I knew it would (also really helps with learning all 200 names)!  For the second session I created a little game using Halloween vocabulary, and I passed out some candy at the end of each class to a chorus of, "Zank you, Cat-ee."  (The French don't really have a need to pronounce the th-sound in their own language, but of course, it is oh-so-prevalent in ours...I'll endeavor to work on that with them in the coming months.  See what I mean?)

On Wednesday, I spent a few hours with a new friend (a teacher at one of the schools I visited when I first arrived).  We had coffee at a local café and then she was kind enough to drive me to her neighborhood (Viry-Chatillon) where we had lunch together at a cafeteria-style restaurant.  It was hilarious and great fun, especially because my mother told me before leaving, "Make sure you eat at flunch!"  To which I had responded, "Oh, Mom.  That place doesn't even exist anymore."  Well, that's where Lidia and I ended up and I was forced to eat my words...literally.  I think there is even one in Paris, nestled somewhere in the Beaubourg area...I'll have to check it out!

A light photo week, but I'm sure I'll more than make up for it during my travels!  Enjoy...

Lights, Camera, Action!

Marché aux Puces...

Translation...flea market.  But not just any flea market.

The Marché aux Puces St-Ouen de Clignancourt is one of the many must-see sites in Paris.  When you think of Parisian flea markets, St-Ouen is typically the reference point.  And this is where I found myself this morning.  The various stalls were taking part in a cinema-themed weekend (Cinépuces), complete with red carpets, movie posters, and young ladies with old fashioned wicker trays dangling around their necks handing out candy...it was great fun!  The sun was shining brightly and I found myself taking pictures of the wares that sparkled in the sunlight.  So many textures at every turn.  I have a soft spot for chairs, it seems...

Work-wise, this week consisted of a few more observations, tracking down 200 popsicle sticks for classroom management paraphernalia, lesson planning, attending a day-long "training" course, and actually starting work on Friday!  My first day consisted of 5 classes (with students ranging in age from 7-11 years old).  Each class went really well.  I said the phrase, "My name is Cathy. What is your name?" two hundred times...I can tell repetition is going to be a hallmark this year.  The teachers and directors are all lovely and will be immensely supportive this year, which is just about all I could ask for.  I will be spending quite a bit of time planning because it turns out that assistant is roughly translated as teacher in the collective pedagogical minds of these institutions.  I'm really only supposed to be helping the program that is already in place.  Well, as it turns out, there often isn't much in place, and many of the classrooms were waiting for me to arrive to kick things off.  Thank goodness I have a modicum of experience with a) teaching and b) curriculum development.  And, fortunately, there is a progression that I can follow filled with themes and goals...

Between wandering around the Jardins des Tuileries before attending the theater on Friday night, trying to secure an unlimited movie pass (unsuccessfully the first time because I didn't have my passport with me - information that was only conveyed after waiting in line for 45 minutes...Hello, French version of the DMV!), ultimately watching a movie at home on Saturday, and spending a few hours at the flea market followed by walking around St. Michel and eating an Extra Pita Grèque for lunch today...I would have to say that I had a pretty amazing weekend!  Check out a few of the photos after the (hop, skip, and a) jump...

Never Say Never...

I rarely, rarely eat anything at McDonald's...

That being said...

I might have to make an exception.

Thanks, MacDo...

Oh, chèvre.  How do I love thee?  ♥

French country cooking...

Imagine, if you will:

*A salad of sliced cherry tomatoes, sliced avocado, sliced red onion with a home-made vinaigrette of Dijon mustard, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt...
*Two eggs, over-medium...
*Sautéed squash with small cut-up pieces of thick ham...
*Fresh bread still warm from the bakery...
*A few pieces of chocolate for dessert...

Un déjeuner rapide (Just a quick lunch!)

In the words of another red-head:

"I think I'm gonna like it here" ♥

La Rentrée...almost

It seems odd that I should be starting to work in a school six weeks into the school year, no?  But then again, I haven't even really started yet...

This week was abundantly full of activities!  On Monday, all the Paris assistants were given a warm welcome by administrators from various levels within the Parisian school system.  Our meeting was held at Lycée Louis le Grand, a very well-known high school in Paris.  The institution has quite the history, especially considering that it was founded in the 1500s.  Victor Hugo, Molière, even French president Nicolas Sarkozy (among many others) attended school there.  The school is certainly not lacking in prestige!  On Tuesday, I visited the schools where I will be working.  At the first school, I was met by an extremely enthusiastic school director who is at the helm of an engaging group of teachers.  I'm going to be working with 6 different classes, twice a week, and the ages of the students encompass 7-11 years old.  Because they have had an assistant before, there were a number of resources that had been squirreled away for me.  I dove right in and started organizing the few children's books, cassette tapes, teacher guides and hundreds of copies of worksheets I uncovered.  I can tell that I'm going to be working hard, but I'm honestly excited about everything!  The second school is conveniently located about 10 minutes away by foot (only one metro stop away).  I visited with the director for a bit and he introduced me to the two teachers I will be helping.  I'm at the second school for a shorter amount of time each week, so they want me to focus on helping the older students prepare for the end-of-the-year exam.  The teachers at the second school seem very nice, too!  The weather finally snapped (au revoir, l'été indien) on Wednesday, which is a day off in the primary schools, so I bundled up and went into the city to meet up with Susy for lunch.  Her new apartment building faces a charming park (parc Montsouris) and we decided to eat lunch there - what a lovely location!  Thursday afternoon and Friday morning were both filled with observations at the first school (the first part of next week will be filled with observations at the second school).  On Friday night I met up with my friend Joy, a junior-year abroad classmate, for drinks and dinner.  We started the evening off appropriately enough...catching up on the past 10 years over a bottle of champagne on the grounds of the UK Embassy.  I was technically on English soil for a few, brief hours ('ello, guv'nah)!  A misty Saturday evening was spent with new friends in the Oberkampf area (which I'd never before visited), grabbing a bite to eat and then heading to a real café-concert featuring eclectic instruments and invigorating music!  Today, Sunday, was pretty relaxing and involved starting to prepare for future lessons.  Susy came out to the suburbs today, as well, and I was able to introduce her to my host family and she stayed for lunch!  A wonderful way to close out the week...stay tuned after the jump for a few photos!

La Nuit Blanche...

I love to sleep.

Staying up all night is not usually my idea of a good time; however, Susy and I decided to "give it a go" last night.

The city of Paris has thrown an all-night party at the beginning of October for the past 10 years, and last night was Nuit Blanche 2011!  Almost 100 different artists were taking part with art installations and musical experiences set up all over the city.  Some were located indoors (churches), some were outdoors (in touristy spots) and many had incredibly long lines.  The entire event was scheduled to last from 7pm-7am.  Susy and I knew we wouldn't make it all night, but we gave it our best!  We started up at Montmartre, walked to Pigalle, metro-ed to St. Lazare, arrived at Hôtel du Ville and Le Marais with throngs of other nuit blanche-rs and finally finished at the Eiffel Tower!!  I so enjoyed walking around with a friend and seeing everything together.  The most exciting part of the night was just trying to walk in front of the installation "Purple Rain," for which there was at least a 1-hour wait (probably longer!) which we by-passed.  There were so many people passing in front of the opening of the building, just trying to catch a glimpse of the rain falling indoors and people walking around with umbrellas.  At one point, I probably could have lifted my feet and still have managed to have been carried along - I haven't been that packed in since...well, since the departure from La Défense for the Petit Prince presentation (just one week ago!)  Parisians/Parisian tourists are not at all afraid to get up close and personal!!  We returned (early) at 1am, but we deemed the evening entirely a success...

My last week of "vacation" was spent very nicely - I was able to relax, but I also checked off a number of things on my to-do list (feels good to be productive)!  I went to a different school with Espérance on Thursday and Friday, where she was working with the smallest students (petite section).  French children start school at 3-years old.  They work hard all day...singing, counting, playing, napping...in actual, tiny beds!  I don't think I've seen anything cuter!  I met a few other maîtresses who can't wait to hang out so they can practice their English with me - and I can't wait to practice my French with them!  It's kind of fun to be a novelty over here :)  All in all, another great week!

Tomorrow morning is the orientation for the language assistants in Paris, and therefore, the beginning of the next chapter of my adventures in teaching.  I'm very excited!  I finally received my school placements a few days ago and I will be working at two schools very close to each other in the southern part of the city.  I couldn't be more pleased!

Check out my photos from the week after the jump...

Autumn Already?

I adore alliteration...

No, really...

Another thing I adore is this super-warm autumnal weather that is somewhat surprising to everyone in France!  I visited with my sweet older neighbor this afternoon for a few moments to bring her some flowers as a thank-you for her warm welcome and she remarked about the weather, "We are having the month of April in the month of September!"  I say, so much the better...it's really adding to my current joie de vivre!

I find that I can't help writing a little bit about each day that passes.  My days have been filled to the brim with activities, both touristic and work-related...wait, work?  What work?  I'm here to work?  Oh, that's right...I am here to work!  Although, the French government doesn't seem to remember that it hired me to work for the next few months.  I still do not have my placements; however, I know once I receive them, I'll have to return to reality.  But for now, I'm enjoying this incredible dream...

Sunday evening was a treat because Espérance asked me if I wanted to go for a bike ride.  I had asked earlier if there was a park nearby (for when I can't get into the city).  There is one not far away so she wanted to show me the way to get there (by bike or by foot).  It's a lovely park - surrounding le château de Morsang (less a real castle, more a bourgeois home from long ago), but Savigny sur Orge and neighboring Morsang equally share the park.  There are trails everywhere, a few scattered play structures for the kids, a little lake with ducks and one beautiful white swan and men with fishing poles...It was idyllic!  And the best part of all?  I got to ride the family's electric bike!  It was downhill almost all the way to the park, so the way back was quite easy thanks to a little "horsepower"...well, maybe not horse...

It was decided that on Monday Susy and I would present ourselves au rectorat (basically the headquarters for the schools of Paris) to see if we could learn any more about our placements.  The answer came back:  We're still working on things.  Well, at least we know it's not something inachevé on our part.  Since we were in the same neighborhood as Père-Lachaise, a famous above-ground cemetery in the eastern part of the city, we decided to pay a visit (I'd never been before).  There are maps that show many of the famous burial sites (Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, etc.) but we just walked hither and yon, remarking on the beautiful iron work that was visible on almost every edifice.  Afterwards, we made our way to the neighborhood of my old academic haunts in the 6ème arrondisement...very close to ???  You guessed it - les jardins de Luxembourg!  There are grassy spots everywhere, but you can't sit on all of them.  We found the area where many other students were enjoying the sun and shade and ate our lunch on the edge of the grass.  Susy had an appointment to open her bank account and I decided to go back to my old school building to visit with the director of my university's abroad program (Audrey) who was the assistant director when I was there 10 years ago!  She looked great and the building looked very much the same, with a few updates and changes during the past few years.  It was a bit of nostalgie to be there again!  Susy and I met up again and this time decided to go to another nearby cemetery - La cimitière Montparnasse - it was quite a day for cemeteries!  This one also has many famous "residents" like Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Brancusi, la famille Boucicaut (not really famous, but I recognized the name because he is the man who started Le Bon Marché in Paris - the world's first department store - I almost wrote my Art History thesis about this man!)  I very much enjoyed my day filled with so much walking; however, my feet were less than enthused by the end of it...

I took it a little easier today - I slept in very late and headed out of the house just in time for my own bank account appointment.  Everything went swimmingly and I will soon receive the famous carte bleue - the debit card with the little micro-chip that makes a world of difference in France if you don't have it!  I was so worried about this process during the summer and before my departure, and now I can check it off my list!  Ça y est!  After the bank, I decided to walk back to the park.  I found a spot near the water (that wasn't already occupied - many people had the same idea today!) and as I lay on my back and watched the clouds, listened to the ducks, and felt the breeze I thought to myself that I could spend many hours of my life (and in some ways I already have) in just this way... :)

You'll find some photos of the past three days after the jump...

From Brassens to Saint-Exupéry...

I don't know when I last had such a full Saturday!

On Friday evening, my host family invited me to join them for a cultural tour of the Montrouge area of the 14th arrondisement for the following afternoon.  I'm always interested in such visits and I was pleased to learn that my host "father" is responsible for arranging these sorts of activities for his company.  We had a group of about 25 walking together through numerous streets and alleys and it was such a nice way to spend a beautiful afternoon in Paris!

The theme of the tour was discovering the quartier of the French singer-songwriter George Brassens (1921-1981).  He was a popular singer (accompanied by his guitar) in his day and his lyrics were often a little controversial, so many assume (incorrectly) that he was an anarchist.  His neighborhood was brimming with artistic creativity, and as we walked around we saw many old buildings with large windows for letting in plenty of light.  Once upon a time, many well-known artists had their workshops, atéliers, in this neighborhood.  It was lovely to see many Art Nouveau touches (my favorite design period) here and there, as well.

After the tour, I continued on my own and made my way back to the Luxembourg Gardens...quelle surprise! (Honestly, I could spend all day just people-watching in that spot!)  I had a rendez-vous with my friend Susy in the Odéon area (another favorite) and we ate at a delicious Japanese restaurant.  She shared with me a special event that was happening at La Défense later in the evening and we decided that we'd walk around a little and then jump on the metro and head that way.  The special event was truly spectacular - a musical/light show/firework re-enactment of Antoine de Saint Exupéry's Le Petit Prince.  I've never seen anything like it!  There were images projected onto the arch of La Défense, classical music interludes, strobe lights, light-emitting balloons that changed color depending on the storyline, bursts of fire, and best of all, fireworks!  I don't know exactly how many people were there - there certainly was a crush of humanity - I don't think I would be exaggerating if I guessed that there were close to 5,000 people (or more) in that spot!  What a special experience!

I can't believe the weather that I've been treated to since my arrival.  It has really been gorgeous - I'd say mid- to upper-70s all week.  And it might get up to the 80s on Tuesday!  Tant mieux!  We've eaten many meals on the little patio in full sunlight - it's been heavenly!  I even did a load of laundry and hung my things up to dry outside.  Don't laugh - that's the first time I've dried things on a true clothesline.  Americans are so used to having a washer/dryer combo, but many French households have only a (tiny) washer.  I'm feeling like a true française!  I know my days won't always be so relaxed in the weeks ahead, but I am trying to soak all of this up for as long as I can!  Il faut profiter! (You have to take advantage of it!)

Check out my photos from the weekend after the jump...

École Maternelle...

My "host mother" invited me to join her at the school where she was working today.  The class consisted of twenty-six 5-year olds...little French babies...they were adorable!  I joined her after lunch because I'm still dealing with jet-lag and there was no way I would have been ready for the first part of the morning!

(School begins at 830am with a break for lunch from about 1145-115pm, then the afternoon lasts until 430pm.  Definitely longer than the average US school day, but preschool/primary school-age children don't go to school on Wednesdays (or Saturdays, like some of the older French students) - I'm sure it all evens out in the end!)

I was welcomed with open arms (literally) and given many pecks on the cheek from the little ones!  They don't refer to their teachers by titles, such as Madame/Mademoiselle (like I thought they would)  Everyone is called "maîtresse"...similar to being called "teacher" all day long...but it sounds somewhat sweeter here because their little French voices are priceless!  (My host mother said that the French feel the same way about hearing American children speak English!)

These children are younger than the ones that I will be working with, but it was still such a treat to spend the afternoon in a school so soon after my arrival!  After the jump, you will find some pictures from my first day in a French school...

Bienvenue à Paris!

To those of you in the know, it comes as no surprise that I have made my way back to the city closest to my heart.  As I have said all along, this is a dream come true...10 years in the making!  I am truly blessed!!

Let me begin by saying that I arrived two days ago and already I feel quite at home.  I know that I still have many different logistical things to take care of in the near future, but for now I am quite content after arriving to fine weather, warm hosts, a charming town just outside of Paris, and a new friend from California with whom I corresponded all summer long.  I imagine that, at first, I may regale you with more pictures and captions than text, but I think that is a nice way to get started, don't you?  I have much to learn about the process of blogging, and I am looking forward to it. Hopefully, for now, these pictures will communicate the beginning of mon séjour à Paris! (after the jump)...